The Marshall Islands was elected last Wednesday, October 9, to join the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) starting next year, prioritizing climate change and nuclear justice. Currently, the HRC, which comprises 47 members, lacks representation from Pacific island nations.
The election of the Marshall Islands received unanimous support from the Pacific Islands Forum, along with its 18 presidents and prime ministers. The primary aim of the HRC is to promote and protect human rights while overseeing UN processes, including investigations and advising the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
During a speech to the General Assembly in September, President Hilda Heine expressed concern that “common multilateral progress is failing us in the hour of greatest need,” particularly concerning human rights. She emphasized that accountability must be universal, highlighting the unique challenges the Marshall Islands faces, including the impacts of nuclear testing and climate change. Heine stated that the voices of the most vulnerable must be amplified, not silenced.
At the 57th session of the HRC in Geneva shortly after the Assembly, she specifically urged recognition of the adverse effects stemming from the nuclear legacy of U.S. atomic tests in her country. Heine noted that despite enduring wrongs for nearly 80 years without an official apology or meaningful reconciliation, the Marshall Islands continues to seek redress.
Sixty-seven nuclear weapon tests were carried out between 1946 and 1958 while the Marshall Islands were under UN Trusteeship, administered by the United States. Heine recounted the misleading actions taken against the Marshallese people, who were forcibly displaced and subjected to non-consensual scientific experimentation.
The Marshall Islands is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including sea-level rise and severe weather events. A projected increase of 2 degrees Celsius in global temperatures above pre-industrial levels could threaten the survival of the low-lying atoll nation.
In 2011, the Marshall Islands, alongside Palau, made a significant appeal at the General Assembly for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice regarding industrialized nations’ obligations to mitigate carbon emissions. Though unsuccessful at the time, this effort laid groundwork for a resolution adopted in 2023, with public hearings set to commence in December.
Heine has been vocal against wealthy nations that fail to keep their climate pledges, urging an end to new fossil fuel projects. When the Marshall Islands takes its HRC seat, it will join Indonesia and France, both of which have faced criticism regarding the human rights of indigenous populations.
Heine expressed support for ongoing dialogue between the Pacific Islands Forum and Indonesia regarding West Papua, where requests for an independent mission to assess human rights have been ignored. She also commented on rising tensions in New Caledonia over electoral reforms affecting the Kanak population’s voting rights.
Countries elected to the HRC are expected to uphold the UN’s human rights standards. An analysis of the Marshall Islands’ voting record during its previous term on the council in 2021 showed support for the majority of resolutions, with a few exceptions regarding human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
As part of its proposal to join the council, the Marshall Islands committed to reviewing signature status on various UN human rights instruments, including protocols on civil and political rights, the abolition of the death penalty, torture, and children’s rights.